Monday 10 May 2010

MARA funds for Johor businessmen

JOHOR BARU - Sunday May 9, 2010: MARA gave out almost RM1mil in loans to entrepreneurs in the state to help them compete in the international market.

Deputy Rural and Regional Development Minister Datuk Hasan Malek said although most of the loan recipients knew how to run a successful business, they still needed assistance in order to be competitive internationally.

“It is promising to see how far some of these entrepreneurs have come.

“Most of the products which were previously only available at the village areas are now becoming available worldwide,” he said during an official visit to Plaza Larkin here yesterday.

He added that many local products were already available and in demand in places such as Saudi Arabia, Dubai and Hong Kong.

“Although we have progressed, there is still room for improvement for our local products,” he said, adding that enhancements could be made to the packaging and marketing of these products.

“Entrepreneurs should also work closely with MIDA, the Malaysian External Trade Deve­lopment Corporation and the Tourism Ministry in order to break into the world market,” he said.

He added that although local entrepreneurs had good quality products, many did not have international contacts.

“So far, our food products and local handicraft are getting good response from international buyers. We are also getting demand for our locally-produced furniture.”

No comments:

Post a Comment